Champion jockey Joao Moreira looks the key factor for improving Amazing Satchmo as he looks for back-to-back wins in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Trophy (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Saturday.

The David Ferraris-trained Amazing Satchmo is lightly raced and giving every impression he is going to make his mark in Class Three in time so this Class Four trophy event should be within his scope.

The challenge is that he is dropping back from 1,600m when he finished powerfully into a close third behind Red Elysees last start to the distance where he won two runs back.

How is that a challenge? Well, because Amazing Satchmo gives every impression that a mile might just be more his distance than the one where he scored his maiden win.

The four-year-old got a clever ride from Karis Teetan the day he won over the 1,400m course, working around the field in a steadily run race at just the right moments so that he would not be outsprinted by sharper horses and that is Moreira’s task here.

On what we have seen, Amazing Satchmo is a strong horse capable of sustaining his finish even after a tough run, but he doesn’t do things as quickly as some of his rivals.

Moreira will be hoping that the likely leaders Care Free Prince and Perfect Choice run them along at a reasonable pace while he sits back in the field on Amazing Satchmo, and that he can choose the right moment to work into things around the outside to make his mount’s stamina count.

The C+3 course can assist this style of run and it’s the rail placement where Amazing Satchmo did win in March, so if Moreira can get it right, then he looks the one they have to hold out.

His major rival could be Destin (Tommy Berry), who will also be trying to work into the race from a position in midfield, or maybe even just in front of midfield, stepping back up in distance after being outdashed at 1,200m lately.

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Berry won on him in January over 1,400m when he positioned the gelding closer than he had previously been and made his move early. Maybe they are the tactics he will try again so as to put some daylight between himself and Amazing Satchmo in the straight before the latter’s stamina becomes a factor.

The other danger who should have some head start on both of them is Goko (Brett Prebble), yet to win but working up to it, and he should be positioned handy to the front. The surprise packet at a price might be Rookie Star (Teetan), who has been racing better than it looks on paper.